Programs and market news
Capacity moves quietly and then suddenly. Following it is the difference between placing a risk and losing it.
Ask about a programThree shifts worth watching across the program space.
Contractor classes remain the hardest segment. Carriers that wrote roofing and concrete freely three years ago have narrowed appetite considerably, and the capacity that remains is mostly in surplus lines.
Habitational business is splitting. Older buildings with claims histories are being pushed out of admitted markets, while newer construction with clean loss runs is still competitive.
Program business itself is consolidating. Fewer MGAs hold larger delegated authorities, which means fewer doors to knock on but faster answers once you are through one.
An MGA holds underwriting and often binding authority on behalf of a carrier. A wholesale broker places business with carriers without holding that authority.
Carriers use programs to access specialized classes they cannot underwrite themselves, delegating that expertise to the MGA.
Usually by demonstrating production in the class. Start with a submission and ask about the appointment path.
Carriers quietly closing a class without a public announcement
New program launches, which usually indicate available capacity
Rate filings that show where a carrier expects losses to move
Appetite changes after a large regional loss event
Programs by class of business, with appetite, limits and states.
Where carriers are opening up and where they are pulling back.
Which classes are hardening and which are softening.
Surplus lines rule changes and filing requirements that affect placement.
Tell us the class you write and we will tell you where capacity sits today.
